Why INEC Omitted Our Lagos Senate, Reps Candidates – LP, AAC

The Labour Party and African Action Congress chapters in Lagos State have explained why the Independent National Electoral Commission did not include their senatorial and House of Representatives candidates on the final list of candidates for the general elections.

Olukayode Salako, the state chairman of the Labour Party, told our correspondent that Ifagbemi Awamaridi, the party’s former chairman, failed to submit the party’s candidates to INEC on time, which resulted in their exclusion from the list.

He did, however, reassured the populace that the party’s National Assembly candidates would still appear on the INEC list before voters cast their ballots because they were already in court to deal with the matter.

The LP and five other parties in Lagos State were not represented on the final list of candidates for the national elections, which was posted on the commission’s website on September 1.

Action Alliance, All Peoples Party, African Action Congress, All Progressive Grand Alliance, Allied Peoples Movement, Labour Party, and Peoples Redemption Party are the other parties affected.

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But Salako said, “The former chairman of the party, Ifagbemi Awamaridi, did not present the names. He went there (INEC) late and the window closed. We are considering the court option and we will soon have the names of our candidates in the process. It is through the courts that our candidates will be uploaded (on INEC’s website).”

“Whether we campaign or not, the Labour Party is forming the next government in Lagos. This is because Lagos residents and Nigerians as a whole are looking for a fresh platform where Nigeria will be run better for the generality of the citizens. There is a revolution going on in the hearts of people; people are tired of the APC, and that revolution is already campaigning for us.”

Meanwhile, the state Chairman of the African Action Congress, Ayoyinka Oni, said the party did not field senatorial and House of Representatives candidates because it did not want to allow moneybags to use the platform for personal political gains.

“A lot of money bags were already lining up to use our party as the second opportunity in case they failed in their parties. We blocked all avenues because we don’t have such a culture,” he added.